Nebraska Earns First Ever NCAA Tournament Berth

    The first week of May was historic for the Huskers.  The No. 38 Nebraska women’s tennis team, which owns an 18-3 record, received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday, May 4, while senior Gitte Ostermann received a bid for the second straight season to compete in the NCAA Singles Tournament. The Huskers will face No. 22 South Carolina on Friday, May 13, at 11 a.m. in Athens, Ga., in the first round in Nebraska’s first appearance in the tournament in school history.

Ostermann is an automatic qualifier from the Central Region and is also the first player in school history to receive two bids to the NCAA Championships.  Competition begins on May 23, in Athens, Ga.

In their last outing, the Huskers entered the Big 12 Tournament with the No. 3 seed, NU’s highest seeding in the Big 12 era.  NU faced the No. 6 seed Colorado in the quarterfinals, who the Huskers had defeated in their last regular season match, 4-3, in Boulder.  CU defeated the No. 11 seed Kansas, 4-2, the previous day of the Big 12 Championships to earn the right to play NU.

In doubles play, the Buffaloes No. 1 duo of Kendra Strandemo and Jessica Vanderdys defeated seniors Ostermann and Katie Garcia, 8-4, while at the No. 3 spot, junior Pamela Castillejos and freshman Ellinor Zugner fell to Colorado’s Gleisy Torres Torres and Jenny Hanson, 8-3. 

In singles action, NU received a boost from the two seniors in the lineup.  Ostermann, ranked No. 36, dominated Lynzee Kever in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, enroute to a career-high 17th win this spring.  At the No. 5 spot, Garcia rolled over Martina Sedivec, 6-2, 6-2, marking Garcia’s 33rd career singles win.  But  Colorado proved to be too tough for the Huskers by taking points at the Nos. 3, 4 and 6 spots. 

On Monday, May 2, the Big 12 announced all-conference honors.  Head Coach Scott Jacobson was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.  Jacobson, in his 14th year as head coach, is the winningest coach in Nebraska history with 181 wins, after leading Nebraska to a conference-best 18-3 record, just one win from tying the most wins in school history.  It is the third time NU has finished over .500 in the conference and its highest conference finish in the Big 12 era.

Ostermann, a four-time academic All-Big 12 selection, was selected to the All-Big 12 team for the third time in her career and was one of three unanimous picks.  She has posted a career-best 26 wins in 2004-05, which ranks fourth on NU’s single season chart.  Ostermann and Garcia were named to the All-Big 12 squad in doubles team for the first time in their careers.  The duo owns a 14-5 record at the No. 1 spot, and posted a 10-match winning streak earlier this year.

Garcia is Nebraska’s first three-time captain.  She has posted 33 career singles wins and has tied Lisa Hart for third on NU’s career doubles chart with 47 wins.

With her win over Kever, Ostermann tied Lisa Hart for fourth on NU’s career singles chart with 74 wins, and tied Hart for No. 4 in NU history with 121 career combined wins.  Ostermann attained the highest singles ranking in school history at No. 18 earlier this season, and with Garcia, grabbed the program’s highest doubles ranking at No. 23.  Ostermann has been NU’s No. 1 singles player all four years of her Husker career. 

NU fell from No. 31 to No. 38 in the ITA national rankings released Monday.  In the final three regular season matches, the Huskers defeated two ranked teams in No. 62 Colorado and No. 75 Kansas State.  Only three conference teams, No. 10 Texas, No. 15 Baylor and No. 31 Texas A&M, are ranked higher than NU.

With its victory over CU to end regular season play, Nebraska reset the mark for the most conference wins in a single season under Jacobson with nine.  NU posted six wins in league play in 1999 and 2000. 

Ostermann, Garcia and junior Milena Schulz-Gartner were named first-team academic All-Big 12, while Castillejos was named to the second team.  The honor marks the fourth time Ostermann has been named to the first team and the first time for Garcia, who was a second-team honoree as a junior.  Schulz-Gartner, who was a member of the 2004 Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring and Fall Honor Rolls, is a first-time first-team honoree.  It is the second straight year Castillejos has been named to the second team.

Several Huskers are experiencing the best seasons of their careers.  Castillejos has posted a career-best 22 wins this spring, eclipsing her previous high of 11 wins, while Skaza has matched her personal-high of 14 wins set during her freshman year at Miami.  Castillejos, with a 22-3 season record, is on pace to have the best single-season winning percentage in school history at .880.

This year, the Huskers have also achieved several all-time team highs. NU began the season ranked No. 71 before shooting up the ITA rankings 41 spots to No. 30, the highest in school history.  The previous high of No. 39 was achieved in 2001. 

Earlier in the season, Nebraska played five straight nationally ranked teams.  Of those five matches, only then-No. 72 Missouri was ranked below NU.  The Huskers came out of that stretch in good shape, taking four out of five matches.    

 

A Quick Look at the Huskers’ Regional

   Nebraska faces No. 22 South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  The Gamecocks finished sixth in the tough Southeastern Conference with a 14-8 overall record and 6-5 conference mark.  The Gamecoks are making their 11th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championships.  After facomg 20 ranked teams this year, the Gamecocks are 12-8 against ranked teams, including wins over No. 4 Vanderbilt and No. 26 Mississippi State.

   Danielle Wiggins, who owns a 4-10 record, is South Carolina’s No. 1 singles player.  Sophomore Christyn Lucas plays at either No. 1 or No. 2 and is ranked No. 101 nationally with a 14-6 record this spring.  Head Coach Arlo Elkins owns a 340-225 career record over 21 years. 

   If NU defeats USC, the Huskers would face the winner of the match between No. 8 seed Georgia Bulldogs and Quinnipiac Bobcats.  Quinnipiac (12-8) won the Northeast Conference tournament title, while the host team, Georgia (15-7), is making its 19th straight appearance in the NCAA Championships where it holds a 44-16 all-time mark.

    

About the Huskers ...

4The Huskers’ bid to the NCAA Tournament is the first in school history.

4Senior Gitte Ostermann is the first player in school history to receive a second bid to the NCAA Singles Tournament.

4Nebraska has produced eight straight winning seasons including 2005.

4Nebraska’s 18 wins in 2005 represents its third highest victory total under Coach Scott Jacobson, trailing only the 2000 and 2001 seasons when NU won 19 matches. It also marks the fifth time in Jacobson’s tenure that NU has tallied at least 15 wins.

4The Big Red owns a 63-match home non-conference winning streak.

4Senior Gitte Ostermann’s singles ranking of No. 18 on Feb. 22 was the highest in school history.

4Senior Katie Garcia and Ostermann’s doubles ranking of No. 23 on Feb. 22 was the highest in school history.

4The Huskers won seven of the first eight matches of the season, including earning a 4-1 record over nationally ranked teams.

4NU’s win over Missouri marked the Huskers’ first conference-opening victory since 2001.

4NU achieved the highest ranking in school history when the Huskers were ranked No. 30 on March 30.

4Nebraska’s win over No. 28 Texas A&M was NU’s second all-time win over the Aggies.

4Five Huskers have won more than 10 matches this year, including seniors Ostermann and Garcia, juniors Pamela Castillejos and Ewelina Skaza and freshman Imke Reimers.

4No. 28 Texas A&M is believed to be the highest ranked team NU has ever beaten, and the win was the first for NU over a top-40 team since its victory over No. 38 Ohio State in 2003.

4Castillejos’ 22 wins marks her highest single-season win total, eclipsing her previous high of 10 victories last season.

4The duo of Reimers and Skaza has earned 17 doubles victories to rank fifth on NU’s single-season doubles wins chart.

4NU is 7-3 against nationally ranked teams this season.  Those seven victories are believed to be the most in school history.

4With a 22-3 season record (.880 percentage), Castillejos is on pace to have the best single-season winning percentage in school history.

4NU’s 18 wins ranks third on its all-time season wins chart.

4Nebraska set its mark for the most conference wins in a single season under Head Coach Scott Jacobson with nine.

4Team captain Katie Garcia has posted 47 career doubles wins, which ties Lisa Hart at No. 3 all-time at NU.

4Ostermann tied Lisa Hart for No. 4 on NU’s career combined wins (individual and doubles) list with 121. 

4The Huskers, with a winning percentage of .857, are on track to post the highest season winning percentage in school history.

4Freshman Imke Reimers has won eight of her last 11 matches at the No. 2 slot.

4NU finished third in conference play, which is the highest conference finish for NU since 1990, and the team’s highest finish in the Big 12 era.

4On April 20, Jacobson recorded his 180th career victory.  Jacobson is the winningest coach in NU history.

4NU’s nine conference wins are believed to be the most in school history.

4Head Coach Scott Jacobson was named 2005 Big 12 Coach of the Year

4Ostermann was named All-Big 12 in singles for the third time in her career.

4Garcia and Ostermann were named All-Big12 in doubles play.   

 

A Quick Look at the Probable Husker Lineup

4No. 1 singles - Gitte Ostermann (17-3): Ostermann is ranked No. 43 nationally in the ITA rankings.  For two weeks, Ostermann was ranked No. 18, which represented the highest ranking in school history.  Ostermann had a strong fall campaign, recording nine victories and winning the ITA Regional  Championships in Tulsa, Okla.  She won 10 of her first 11 matches this spring.

4No. 2 singles - Imke Reimers (13-7): The freshman is 13-8 this season, including 12 victories at the No. 2 slot.  She recorded her first win as a Husker against Creighton on Jan. 20, blanking Deidre Senders, 6-0, 6-0.  She narrowly missed pulling the upset against No. 47 Helga Vieira of Texas A&M when she lost in a three-set thriller, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.  Reimers has won eight of her last 11 matches.

4No. 3 singles -  Ewelina Skaza (14-7): A transfer from Miami, Skaza is undefeated in singles play at the No. 4 slot and has yet to drop a set at that spot.  Skaza dropped two close sets against Texas’ Mia Marovic at the No. 3 slot, including forcing a second set tiebreaker, before falling, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6).  Skaza has won 12 straight matches at the No. 4 slot.

4No. 4 singles - Pamela Castillejos (19-2): The junior is currently on an 13-match winning streak at the No. 5 slot, the longest of her career.  During that time, Castillejos has dropped only two sets.  Against No. 28 A&M, Castillejos clinched the historic victory with a win over Marisa Druss, 7-6 (3), 6-4.  Castillejos leads the team with 10 conference wins.  With a 22-3 season record, the junior is on pace to have the best single-season winning percentage in school history at .880.

4No. 5 singles - Katie Garcia (12-7): A three-year captain, Garcia tied her career-long winning streak of six matches earlier this season.  Garcia has amassed 33 career singles wins.                           

4No. 6 singles - Ellinor Zugner (6-4): A freshman from Gothenburg, Sweden, Zugner has won three of her last four matches.  She has amassed five conference victories, and is 6-3 at the No. 6 spot.